


Worth a Thousand Words

by braveasabadger



Series: Opening Up [1]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: 5+1 Things, Anxiety, Coming Out, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, jack zimmermann is bad with social media
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-08-31
Updated: 2016-09-06
Packaged: 2018-08-12 03:54:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 12,220
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7919557
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/braveasabadger/pseuds/braveasabadger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The five times Eric Bittle acted as Jack Zimmermann's unofficial publicist, and the one time Jack knew what to do on his own.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So this is not only my first Check Please fic, but my first published fic ever, so be gentle with me.
> 
> I own nothing here, all credit goes to the incredible Ngozi.
> 
> This fic is just basically me indulging my own soft spot for these two boys and their ability to stick together though thick and thin. This is not beta'd, so any mistakes are my own, please feel free to point them out!

_/1\\_ 

“Jack Zimmermann, you can’t possibly tell me that you of all people do not have an Instagram.” Bitty was leaning against Jack on his parent’s living room couch in Madison, having finally stolen some alone time with him while Bitty’s parents went to pick up his Moo Maw for that evening’s Fourth of July festivities.

Jack just huffed out a laugh and nuzzled his nose further into Bitty’s hair, relishing the novelty of their proximity after weeks of only being able to see Bitty over Skype. “I don’t know how you can be surprised at this point, Bits. It’s impressive enough that Shitty convinced me to get Facebook, let’s leave it at that.”

“But honey, Instagram is perfect for you! It’s all pictures! You don’t even have to put captions on them if you really don’t want to.”

As much as Jack wanted to just brush aside the suggestion, he was quickly discovering that he didn’t have it in him to deny Bitty anything. Besides, George had mentioned in one of their preliminary meetings that it would be a good idea for Jack to have some form of online presence for the fans to get involved with. Reluctantly, but still with a hint of a smile, Jack wrestled his phone out of his jeans pocket and handed it to Bitty. “Go ahead and set it up, but don’t expect me to use it very often, I’m not like you when it comes to this kind of thing.”

“Honey you take more pictures than I make tweets, don’t you start with me.” Bitty laughed, tapping away at the phone in his hand, and Jack watched in fascination as Bitty set up an account for him with practiced ease. He knew that what Bitty was saying was true, he had plenty of material to use, his resistance came more from all the variables involved in having a presence online. How much sharing was enough? How much was too much? What if people thought his photos were stupid? Or worse, what if people thought he was boring, just a ‘hockey robot’?

It seemed like Bitty knew just when Jack was letting his thoughts run wild, because he chose that moment to put the phone down on the couch next to them and slide fully into Jack’s lap, hands coming up to rest on the back of his neck. “Sweetheart, if this is too much we don’t have to do it today. Heck, we don’t have to do it at all if it makes you uncomfortable. But if you do want to do this, I’ll help every step of the way. You can even send me the pictures you want to post beforehand, I’ll be your Instagram editor.” Bittle smiled as he spoke, fingers carding gently through the soft hair at the back of Jack’s neck, and for what seemed like the thousandth time, Jack marvelled at just how quickly this boy had become one of the best parts of his life. 

“I think that would help,” He admitted, hands coming up to rest on Bitty’s hips. “I know the team wants me more involved online, and I do like the idea of sharing my photos, it’s just a lot to adjust to. I’m not the best at sharing.” 

Bitty shook his head with a small smile and dropped a kiss onto the tip of Jack’s nose before leaning down to pick up the phone again, but staying seated where he was, much to Jack’s relief. “Well that’s what you have me for, in case you haven’t noticed I’m very good at sharing.” He laughed, already focused back on the screen in his hands, and before Jack had a chance to chirp him for that comment, he added “Did you have any ideas for a username? I didn’t think you would want to go with Zimmboni or anything, I was thinking maybe just something simple, like ‘JLZ1’?” 

The thought of how smug Tater would be if he used the nickname he had coined as a username was enough to have Jack shaking his head with a laugh. “That sounds perfect, Bits. No need to give Tater an ego boost, he’s doing fine on his own.”

After that, the conversation veered off into a rather involved discussion about which picture should be Jack’s first post, with him ultimately deferring to Bitty’s superior judgement. If it had been solely up to Jack, he would have been too tempted to post the picture he had taken of Bitty in the Haus kitchen while they were working on their final project together. The way Bitty had been beaming at him, eyes focused just above the camera and a smudge of flour on his forehead was too perfect not to share with the world, though Jack had to admit that he did like that he had that side of Bitty all to himself. In the end, they ended up agreeing on a picture from graduation that his mom had taken, Jack and Shitty in their caps and gowns, with Bitty sandwiched between them. And if it made both of them smile and flush thinking of what happened not an hour after that photo was taken, no one would be the wiser.

After that day, it became common practice for Jack to send Bitty a photo for approval in the middle of the day, or bring up his idea for a new post during their nightly Skype date. Unsurprisingly, under Bitty’s expert guidance, Jack quickly gained a pretty impressive following on Instagram, and for the most part people seemed to love the glimpses they got into the life of the mysterious Jack Zimmermann. It got to the point where George asked him one day if he had hired a media consultant, to which Jack replied with a laugh “I think he hired himself, actually.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Selfies aren't really Jack's thing. Thankfully, he happens to be dating an expert.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here is chapter 2, I finished this way faster than expected, and this one is actually a length I'm happy with!  
> Once again, I own nothing here, all this genius belongs to Ngozi.  
> I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who read the first chapter and commented or liked it, y'all are the sweetest!

_/2\\_  
As good as Jack would like to think he had become with social media since starting both his career with the Falcs and his relationship with Bitty, he had to admit that the last thing he wanted to worry about at the moment was making an Instagram post. The game had been rough, checks coming from seemingly every angle, and having all of his focus on just staying on his feet and out of the line of fire had meant that Jack hadn’t seen the puck flying towards him until it was too late. 

Admittedly, it probably looked worse than it felt, especially if Bitty’s concern over the phone was anything to go by, but Jack still felt entitled to an evening of nursing his wounds and doing little else. Having already reassured his parents, his teammates (both old and new), and his boyfriend that he was fine, Jack wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed with one of the maple oat cookies Bittle had sent him and finish the latest history documentary recommended for him on Netflix. If he was lucky, Bittle would be available to Skype a little later on, and that would be enough to make his evening better.

Of course, when Bitty finally did make it onto Skype, his first topic of conversation (after cooing over the bruising and stitches on his boyfriend’s chin) was the state of Jack’s Instagram feed. “Honey, your fans are worried about you! They just want to know you’re all right, I’m not saying you need to write them a novel, just take a selfie and post it to let them know your beautiful face is still intact.”

Huffing out a laugh and trying not to tug at his stitches too much with the smile that spread across his face, Jack shook his head as he reached for his phone on his bedside table. “I’m not like you, Bits, I can’t just take a selfie that looks…good.”

It was one of the reasons most of the pictures on Jack’s feed were of his friends or the rink or the parts of Providence he had begun to explore, every picture he took of himself just felt wrong. Every picture Bitty took of himself seemed to perfectly capture his energy, the way his smile overtook his face and made his features brighter. Whenever Jack looked at a picture of himself, he found fault with it. If he was smiling, it looked forced and fake, and if he wasn’t, he looked like the hockey robot that everyone accused him of being. Or worse, he looked sad. 

“Now you listen here Mr. Zimmermann, there is no way you could take a picture of anything, especially that handsome face of yours, that wouldn’t look amazing.” Bitty had on what Jack had started to call his ‘Captain face’, all furrowed brow and focused eyes. Jack had no doubt in his mind that Bitty would be captain of the team when Ransom and Holster graduated, he was a natural, if the pep talks he seemed to give Jack almost daily were anything to go by. 

“Okay just pick up your phone and start taking pictures, I’ll talk you through it.” Leaving no room for argument, Bitty motioned for Jack to begin, brows raised expectantly but expression still gentle. 

With a sigh, Jack did as instructed, opening his phone’s camera and looking at the screen, immediately met with his own tired face. The bags under his eyes were exaggerated in the low lighting, he looked gaunt and worn out, and the stitches on his chin looked severe against his pale skin. In short, Jack looked terrible. “If this is supposed to reassure people that I’m fine, it’s not going very well so far.” He grumbled, trying to remember the pointers his photography professor had given for framing portraits, though he didn’t think a change of angle would make this any less awkward.

“Just take a picture Jack, I promise it will look great.” Bitty assured him, voice that soft tone it seemed he saved for Jack alone. Only slightly reluctantly, Jack looked back at the camera, finger poised over the button, but just before he could take the photo, Bitty spoke again.

“Oh, and Jack? I love you.”

This certainly wasn’t the first time Bitty had uttered those words, but it was still new, and truthfully Jack didn’t think it would ever get less thrilling to hear. A warmth spread through him, and Jack let his lips curve up in a small smile, his shoulders relaxing from their squared position as he finally took the picture, feeling less self-conscious than he could ever remember feeling in front of a camera. 

“You did that on purpose.” Though his voice sounded gruff, Jack couldn’t wipe the smile off his face, and his eyes were soft as he looked away from the phone and back at Bitty, easily getting lost in studying the gentle flush warming his boyfriend’s cheeks. “And I love you too.”

Bitty just smiled, ducking his head down as the flush on his cheeks seemed to spread down his neck and across the sliver of his collarbones that was visible above the stretched out collar of the Samwell Hockey shirt he was wearing. From the size alone Jack could tell that it was one from his own closet, and the warmth that had been bubbling inside him settled deeper into his bones at the sight. “How does the picture look, sweetheart?”

At Bitty’s prompting Jack looked down at the photo, and almost didn’t recognize the man looking back up at him. He looked relaxed, very unlike a man who had just taken a puck to the jaw, and most unexpected, he looked happy. “I’m pretty sure you could make a career out of this media consultant thing if you ever get tired of baking.” Jack laughed, texting the picture to Bitty so he could see it for himself. It had become such a routine for him to get his boyfriend’s approval on potential posts, that even though he had a pretty good idea of how Bitty would react, he wanted to hear his thoughts all the same.

“Like I would ever get tired of baking, if you think…” Bitty trailed off as he looked down at his phone out of frame of the Skype call, presumably at the picture Jack had just sent him. 

“Oh, _sweetheart_ …” He breathed, eyes still glued to the screen of his phone for a moment before he looked back up at Jack with such deep affection in his eyes that Jack felt his mouth go dry. “…if it weren’t for the stitches, I would say you’ve never looked better.” 

“Think I should post it?” Jack tried to sound nonchalant, but in truth he still needed that vote of confidence from Bitty before putting anything online, there were still too many variables for him to feel comfortable doing it unassisted. 

“Honey I think I want to look at this picture for the rest of my life, of course you should post it! But be warned, you may be responsible for a mass epidemic of fainting spells across the country with a smile like that.” Bitty raised an eyebrow suggestively at Jack, which prompted him to blush and look away, hand coming to rest on the back of his neck.  
“I’m glad you like it, Bits. And I don’t know about that, but George did say I should post a picture of myself every once in a while.” Still blushing, Jack posted the picture with the caption _A little banged up but still ready to play, see you at the next game_ , which had of course been Bitty’s idea. 

The rest of their evening was spent like any other, talking about all the projects Bitty had piling up, and him promising repeatedly that he wouldn’t procrastinate to a disbelieving Jack. It was nice, this easy familiarity they had, the way they could talk about seemingly nothing for hours and it still felt like the best conversation Jack had all day.

Jack didn’t spare another thought to the photo until the next morning when he woke up to find his phone over run by notifications. Apparently, his ‘casual’ photo had become an overnight sensation, with more likes and comments than the rest of his pictures combined. The comments on the photo ranged from _'Swawesome man, that’s going to leave a sick scar'_ , to _'Oh you poor baby'_ , along with a large number of people making rather shocking comments about the other ways they would like to see him ‘all banged up’. When Jack moved to the SMH group chat, which was another large source of notifications clogging his phone, he found links to a Buzzfeed article that had gone up earlier that morning, the title reading _'NHL Rookie breaks the internet with first Instagram selfie'_. The rest of the chat was filled with various chirps, and a long list of kissy face and heart emojis from Shitty, Ransom and Holster in equal parts. 

The rest of his day was filled with similar chirping from his teammates both old and new, and more than a few texts from Bitty, including screenshots of some of the more inappropriate comments the picture was receiving, sent with only a frowny face emoji. Eager to be on the other side of a chirp for the first time that day, Jack had laughed during their nightly skype call, teasing Bitty about this bout of jealousy. “It’s your own fault, you’re the one who told me to post a selfie. Besides, you know you’re the only I want to get ‘all banged up’ with.” Jack mentally high-fived himself for getting that line out without stuttering or blushing, letting himself enjoy his boyfriend’s reaction. When Bitty recovered from all the blushing and the sputtering, he managed to grumble something about ‘that damn Zimmermann Charm’. 

The picture continued to get a fair amount of attention over the next week, to the point where a few reporters asked Jack about it at the press junket after their next game, which his teammates delighted in, all piping in that they were just surprised it had taken this long for Jack to break the internet with his looks. And of course the more colourful comments and reactions continued to come in, accompanied with more grumbling and frowning emojis from Bitty, but Jack didn’t mind too much, especially when Bitty was able to come up the next weekend, and made it the mission of his visit to remind them both just who it was that put that now famous smile on Jack’s face.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An opportunity arises that Jack doesn't think he's ready for. Bitty disagrees.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warnings for discussions of anxiety in this chapter, nothing too in depth, but if descriptions of anxiety make you uncomfortable, you might want to skip this one.
> 
> Thank you again everyone for your kind words and support, you're too kind!

_/3\\_

In hindsight, Jack should have known this would happen. When he had explained the premise of Let’s Talk Day, he should have known Bitty would manage to talk him into taking a far more active position than he had intended. Let’s Talk Day, as he had explained to Bitty a few months ago, was a campaign by a Canadian media company focused on erasing the stigma around mental health and making it easier for people to seek help. They used athletes as their spokespeople, and usually those athletes used the platform to talk about their own struggles with their mental health. Initially, Jack had just planned to do what most other people did to participate in the campaign, he would donate money to the movement, and post a selfie with the campaign’s hashtag, encouraging his fans to get involved as well.

Of course, once Bitty had looked at the website and seen the list of athletes who had partnered with the program, he was set on the idea of them using Jack for this year’s media push. “Sweetheart, who else are they going to use? Clara Hughes for the fourth time? They need a fresh face, and you’re the one who is always saying how important it is to have more men talking openly about their mental health.” 

What Jack had neglected to mention was that the organization had actually already reached out to him through the team’s PR department, and after a stern talking-to from George, he had promised to think about it. But at this point, after just over a year of being together, it seemed there wasn’t anything he could hide from Bitty anymore. “They already asked you, didn’t they? That’s why you mentioned it at all.” 

Bitty didn’t sound angry, or even surprised. At this point, Jack knew that when Bitty asked him a question, it was never an accusation. It had taken a lot of communication and tough conversations, but they were at a point in their relationship where they knew how to talk each other through the things that felt insurmountable. And at that moment, lying in the bed of his Providence apartment with Bitty’s head resting on his chest, Jack was immensely grateful for all the work that his boyfriend put into constantly building him back up after his anxiety tore him down. 

As he took a moment to try and articulate the thoughts and concerns clogging his brain, Jack looked around the room, marveling at just how much more lived in the space felt since Bitty had started spending more time there. Having just finished his junior year, Bitty had made the decision not to return to Georgia for the whole summer, but rather to stay with Jack in Providence and go home for a week in August to see his parents. Since that decision had been made, more and more of Bitty’s belongings had migrated into the apartment, shirts and jeans joining the collection of shorts already accumulating in the top drawer of the dresser, and a pile of cookbooks and baking magazines were artfully organized on top of one of the bedside tables, no doubt highlighted and annotated from where Bitty had been going through them earlier. If he put the amount of effort he put into baking into his studies, Jack had no doubt that Bitty would graduate top of his class. 

Bitty lifting his head and resting his chin on Jack’s chest to look up at him pulled him out of his thoughts and reminded him of the conversation at hand. “Euh, yes? I mean, they left it open to the team, for any players who had struggles with mental health and felt comfortable sharing. But George did ask me personally if I would do it. Apparently I’m uniquely qualified.” A sad smile crossed Jack’s face as he remembered the forced cheeriness in George’s voice when she had mentioned that. It was no secret to the team what he was going through, or the true nature of his fall from grace before the draft, but the thought of sharing that story, those feelings with the world was one that had Jack’s mouth going dry and his hands trembling where they rested on the small of Bitty’s back. 

Objectively, Jack knew that joining in on the discourse was a good idea. It would open the door for more men, particularly athletes, to talk about their own struggles, which was something Jack knew was sorely needed. He only wished he had had someone to open that door for him when he was younger, and thought alone was enough to make him want to do this, no matter how much his brain was screaming at him that this was a bad idea. 

“Baby, I can’t help you if I don’t know what it is that is making you anxious. Do you think you can talk about it, or do you want to write it down?”

This was a problem Jack had often, he knew exactly what it was that he wanted to say, had the words repeating in a loop in his head, he just couldn’t force his voice to cooperate. It was like there was something blocking the route from his brain to his mouth every time he felt his anxiety rising. Thankfully, Bitty had figured this out pretty early on in their relationship and had started encouraging Jack to write out what it was he needed to say. This time though, Jack wanted to speak, wanted to prove to himself that he could do this, because if he could talk to Bitty about this, he was one step closer to telling other people. 

“It’s…too much.” His voice came out weaker than he wanted it to, and only after what must have been three minutes of opening his mouth to promptly close it again, but it was a start. “There’s too much that could go wrong. What if the fans don’t have faith in me anymore, when they find out? Or if they think the Falcs just drafted me out of pity.” Avoiding Bitty’s gaze as he spoke, Jack just let it all pour out. He stuttered through every worst case scenario he had compiled since his talk with George, all the reasons he knew he wouldn’t be a good spokesperson. Bitty had always told him that saying these things out loud meant they had less power over him, and Jack was finally starting to believe him. The more he spoke, the more Jack relaxed, though he still felt jumpy, hands gripping the fabric of Bitty’s shirt to keep him grounded. 

When he finally stopped talking, eyes still downcast and breathing unsteady, Bitty waited for a long moment before he said anything, hands splayed out on Jack’s chest, the warmth of them keeping him from being pulled back under by the panic that was still present in Jack’s system. “Sweetheart, I know how scary this seems, but you wouldn’t be doing this on your own. There would be people there to coach you on what to say, I’m sure George would go with you if you needed, you know she wouldn’t let them talk you into anything you weren’t comfortable with. And there is no one who could do this better than you honey. You spent years fighting this battle by yourself, and I know you don’t want other people to go through what you did, any of it. And I know that you can do this, believe me baby, I know it.” By the time Bitty had finished speaking, his face was hovering only an inch above Jack’s, his cheeks flushed a rather endearing shade of pink. 

This wasn’t the end of the conversation by far, and Jack still wasn’t sure if he would be able to take such a big step, but for the time being he was more interested in kissing his readily available and truly irresistible boyfriend. 

It wasn’t until a few weeks later that things really started to fall into place, after several more conversations, some with Bitty, some with George, and some with the counselor the team’s management had set him up with. In the end it was Bitty who came up with the perfect solution, in the middle of one of their nightly Skype dates. “I know you keep saying it feels like it would be too much to handle, but what if you didn’t have to do it alone?”

“Bits, we talked about this, no one else on the team feels they’re qualified for this-“

“I don’t mean your teammates, honey.” Bitty interrupted him before Jack could continue, hand held up to the screen as if to keep Jack from trying to interject. “This whole campaign is about encouraging people to get help and feel okay talking to the people they care for about what they’re going through, right? I think we know someone who believes in that message just as much as you do, and isn’t shy in front of a camera, either.” 

So that was how Jack ended up in a studio with his father, both wearing Let’s Talk shirts and more makeup than Jack was really comfortable with, not that Bob seemed perturbed at all. A script had been written for them, and for once Jack was grateful that someone else had planned what he was going to say. It wasn’t like the preconceived answers to reporter’s questions that were drilled into the team, this was his own story, just streamlined and planned out in a way that made sense, and it took most of the guesswork out of sharing his past in such a big way. And any anxiety that remained was being kept in check by his father’s presence at his side and the knowledge that they would be driving to Samwell once the shoot was over to take Bitty out for lunch. Between Bob cracking jokes and Bitty’s texts of encouragement between takes, Jack got through the shoot with minimal panic, and after that he didn’t have to worry about it until the actual day the video was released. 

So Jack should have known this would happen, he should have known that Bitty would take something that made Jack want to curl up into a ball and hide, and turn it into one of the things he was most proud of. When the video came out, they watched it together, curled up on the couch in Jack’s living room with Jack’s head buried in the crook of Bitty’s neck when he couldn’t bear to watch himself. But he had to admit, it turned out far better than he could have imagined, and having his dad there, talking about the importance of supporting your family members and letting them know they have someone to talk to, had given the campaign a perspective it hadn’t included before. 

If the reaction online was anything to go by, Jack would consider the whole ordeal a success, but Bitty still insisted that he had to post a selfie like he had initially planned, so Jack reluctantly donned the Let’s Talk shirt from the day of the shoot and let Bitty arrange him within the frame of the picture, which he had insisted he should take, ignoring Jack when he had pointed out that it then couldn’t really be considered a ‘selfie’ anymore. The picture turned out pretty well, and if the only reason that Jack’s smile was sincere in it was because Bitty had been making kissy faces at him behind the camera, well, no one else needed to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Let's Talk Day is a real thing in Canada, sponsored by Bell. I don't know if it happens in any other countries, but I liked the idea of Jack doing something like this for his homeland.
> 
> I'm going to try to keep up the posting schedule of a chapter a day, so keep an eye out for chapter 4 tomorrow, which will be from Bitty's POV!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Whoever scheduled the NHL playoffs and Samwell's Convocation ceremonies at the same time was a cruel person.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was my first chapter from Bitty's perspective, and I'm still not 100% happy with it, but I wanted to get this up tonight.  
> Still unbeta'd, all mistakes are my own, feel free to let me know if you catch any!  
> Thank you all for your continued love and support!!

_/4\\_

“No honey, you can’t post about the cake doughnuts, because I made a whole video about making them.”

“So? There’s nothing unusual with me eating something that a friend made, Bits.”

“But I mentioned in the video that I was making them for someone special. Someone is bound to make the connection, I’m sorry baby.”

This was nowhere near the first time they had had to have a conversation like this. As Jack became more popular among the Falcs and because of his Instagram, and Bitty’s videos gained a bigger following, the risk of them being found out increased. It had gotten to the point where Jack’s habit of sending his potential Instagram posts to Bitty usually ended in them having to strategically plan what they could both share on social media. 

Though this type of conversation was not new, it was still just as draining for Bitty. Given that he was far more experienced than Jack when it came to having an online presence, he usually took the lead when it came to deciding what they should and shouldn’t share, and he was just so tired of it. For once, Bitty wanted to be able to just post a picture or write a tweet without having to cross reference it with everything he and Jack had shared for the past month. But just when it felt like it was getting to be too much…

“It’s okay, at least this way I won’t have Shitty escaping Harvard to come share them with me. I just wanted to post them to show you how much I appreciate you going to all that trouble for me. I guess I’ll just have to show you in private.”

Bitty could almost practically hear Jack winking over the phone, and he was grateful no one was around to witness just how quickly he became the same colour as a beet. Most of the tension that had been present between them evaporated as Bitty laughed, shifting on his bed so he could lean back against the pillows. He knew that this was just as hard on Jack as it was on him, and that if Jack had his way they wouldn’t have to hide like this. Bitty had come out to his parents the summer after his junior year, and now, days before his graduation, he wanted so badly to take that final step out of the closet. His parents had taken the news far better than expected; his mother wasn’t surprised in the slightest and just told him she was happy he finally felt comfortable enough to share that part of himself with them, and Coach had been so thrilled by the fact that his son was dating a professional athlete that he wasn’t fazed at all by the gender of his partner.

“Mr. Zimmermann, don’t you make promises you can’t keep. You have the playoffs to worry about, you’ll be too busy to be doing any sort of…’appreciation’.” 

Jack’s laugh sounded somewhat tinny through the phone, but it warmed Bitty all the same. With the playoffs having just begun, actual visits and nightly skype calls had given way to phone calls and the occasional Facetime when they both had the time and energy. Bitty was feeling the distance between the two of them more acutely than ever before, and he could tell it was taking a similar toll on his boyfriend. The year before, the Falcs had been eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, so Jack had been able to spend the end of finals and beginning of the summer with Bitty, and as much as Bitty wanted to see Jack achieve his life goal of winning the Stanley cup, he wanted to be able to see his boyfriend just as much. 

“I’m sure I can make some time for you. After all, how am I supposed to win without my good luck charm?” Came Jack’s teasing reply, and Bitty had to turn his head to hide his ridiculous grin in his pillow for a moment before he could respond. To think that everyone had teased Jack for his lack of flirting, when he had clearly inherited far more of the ‘Zimmerman Charm’ than anyone could have anticipated. 

“I promise to come to every home game that I can, but I doubt we’re going to get much alone time together, sweetheart.”

“Maybe I can talk to George again, see if I can make it there for graduation…” Jack’s voice trailed off before he could finish that thought, because graduation was still a sore subject between them. Realistically, Bitty knew that it wasn’t anyone’s fault that the playoffs happened to occur at the same time as the end of his college career, but he was still left with the urge to blame someone. He had made it clear very quickly that he wasn’t mad at Jack, his career took priority, especially with most people saying that the Falcs were one of the biggest contenders for the cup this year. Nevertheless, it still hurt to know that he wouldn’t be able to share such a big day with Jack, to say goodbye with him to the place that brought them together.

“You know what she’ll say, the team needs you, and you need to stay focused. It’s okay, sweetheart.” It wasn’t okay, they both knew it, but pretending that it was seemed like the best course of action.

_X_

The actual day of graduation saw Bitty feeling just as miserable as he had imagined, made only marginally better by the fact that when he opened the group chat he discovered that Lardo, Shitty, Holster and Ransom were all on their way to Samwell to act as the ‘Unofficial Bitty Cheering Section’. It meant a lot that his friends would take the time to come down to support him, but it also made it harder for him to ignore who wasn’t going to be there. He had texted Jack as soon as he woke up, knowing that the Falcs were no doubt already on the road to their next game. No response came as Bitty got ready for the day, putting on the outfit Jack had helped him pick out the last time they had been able to Skype. It was only when he had the outfit on, standing in front of the mirror, that he realized why Jack had picked it. He really should have noticed before; the camel coloured slacks with a light blue button-down and navy blazer, it was almost exactly the same outfit he had worn to Jack’s graduation, what felt like a whole lifetime ago. The biggest difference this time was that he had traded in the red bowtie for a more understated burgundy tie, but the overall look was the same, and Bitty couldn’t help but smile. This boy.

The rest of the morning passed in a blur, and it wasn’t until he was actually walking across the stage that Bitty caught a glimpse of where his friends were sitting, with the rest of the team, all there to see their captain off. As he waved at them, he saw Shitty hoist a sign over his head, and when Bitty finally figured out what was on it, he blushed from his hairline straight to the collar of his shirt, and hurried back to his seat with small smile on his face.

He finally heard back from Jack in the afternoon, after his lunch with his parents, and after he had said only slightly teary farewells to his friends. Jack had responded to his text from that morning, congratulating him and apologizing once again for not being able to be there. Before Bitty had a chance to respond, Jack had sent another text.

_‘What do you think of this for today’s Instagram post?’_

When Bitty saw the picture attached, the tears he had been fighting back since his friends had left spilled over again. It was a picture from Jack and Shitty’s graduation, Bitty sandwiched between the two of them, laughing at something Shitty had said. That picture had been taken only hours before Jack had gone running across campus to find him, and it made Bitty feel warm all over just thinking about it. After saving the picture to his phone, Bitty texted back, sending an image of his own. 

_‘What about this one instead?'_

Attached was a picture of Bitty at the ceremony that morning, surrounded by his friends and laughing as he held the sign that Shitty had been brandishing earlier, which featured a picture of Jack, clearly taken from the Falconers’ website. Jack responded barely a minute later with _I guess I might have to share those doughnuts with Shitty after all_ but said nothing else. A few minutes later, Bitty’s phone chirped with a notification saying someone had tagged him in a picture on Instagram, and he opened the app to find that Jack had posted the picture, artfully cropped and edited like the hipster he was, with the caption _‘Glad to know I haven’t been forgotten at Samwell, congrats to Bitty on graduating, I see big things in your future.’_

Barely thirty seconds after he had like the photo, Bitty’s phone was ringing with Jack’s personalized ringtone (Bootylicious, which Shitty had initially changed it to as a joke, but Bitty refused to change it back) and the first thing he heard when he answered was “It’s me. I’m the big thing in your future.” 

It wasn’t as good as having Jack with him, but for now, it was enough. 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Stanley Cup playoffs were every hockey fan’s favourite part of the year. Unless of course, a hockey fan had a significant other who happened to be a hockey player, then they were a nightmare.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack gets startlingly good at this whole social media thing.
> 
> This is the longest chapter yet, and it kind of veered away from the initial plot for a bit, but I'm happy with it anyway.

_/5\\_  
The Stanley Cup playoffs were every hockey fan’s favourite part of the year. Unless of course, a hockey fan had a significant other who happened to be a hockey player, then they were a nightmare. Bitty was immensely grateful that he had already finished finals and graduated, because he was fairly certain if he had to worry about school on top of the stress the playoffs were causing him, he would just drop dead. 

He and Jack had agreed earlier in the year that it made the most sense for Bitty to just come stay with him after school ended, the same way he had last summer. Only this time, there was no school to go back to in September, and while he was still going to Madison to visit his parents for a week or two, when he returned it wouldn’t be to Samwell, but to Providence. They hadn’t discussed it explicitly as Eric moving in at first, but it quickly became clear that’s what it was. Which was why Eric was now in Jack’s kitchen- _their_ kitchen-finishing up his third pie in this round of stress baking. 

It felt as if he hadn’t seen Jack for more than a day or two at a time for months, and really, it likely had been. Between finals and graduation and the Falconers starting the first round of the playoffs, then moving on to the second, and now the third, they hadn’t had any long amount of time where they were both available. But now Eric was done with school and all moved into the apartment, thanks to the help of both his and Jack’s parents, and Jack was still in a whirlwind of away games and training and press.

Bitty had come to every home game he could, sitting with Jack’s parents, who had come up once the final round of the playoffs had begun, when it became clear that the Falconers were in it for the long haul. With Jack being away more often than not, and too exhausted to do much when he was home, Bitty had taken to spending quite a lot of time with his boyfriend’s parents, Alicia in particular. As well as he got along with Bob, Bitty found Alicia’s company to be far more soothing, as she knew exactly what he was going through, having had to endure several playoff seasons of her own. 

Bitty had actually spent enough time with Jack’s mom that some second rate tabloid had run a story about _‘Alicia Zimmermann’s New Boy Toy’_. The Zimmermanns had all thought the story was hilarious, while Bitty was mortified. “Losing you to my son’s boyfriend? I never saw that one coming, I always thought you would leave me for your hairdresser.” Bob spoke with a straight face though his eyes were full of laughter, gesturing at the magazine that lay open on the table as the four of them ate brunch in Jack’s apartment. The page it was open to had a grainy photo of Alicia and Bitty out to coffee, laughing together, no doubt over some embarrassing childhood story she had told him about Jack.  
“What, Matthieu? He’s nearly as old as you are! If I was going to trade you in for a younger model, I might as well go all the way, right Bitty?” 

Bitty laughed at the memory as he placed his now finished pie (chocolate cream, as per Bob’s request) in the fridge to set. When he had envisioned a tabloid exposing his secret relationship with a Zimmermann, that certainly wasnt what he had pictured, though it was likely preferable to the truth. But as much as Bitty knew that now would be the worst time for their relationship to come to light, a small part of him selfishly wished that they could just be open already. So he could do all the little things he ached to, like hold Jack’s hand in public, or tweet about some of the ridiculously sweet things Jack did for him, or sit with the WAGs at tomorrow’s game. 

Tomorrow’s game, as in game seven of a tied third round between the Falconers and the Penguins, as in the reason Bitty was currently standing in the middle of his kitchen smudged with flour and surrounded by the debris left from a seriously impressive round of stress baking. Because he knew how much this meant to Jack, it was what he had wanted since he was a child, and Bitty knew Jack felt that winning the cup would get him one step closer to being his own player, instead of just Bad Bob’s son. 

A glance at the clock told Bitty that once again he had let time get away from him, and he had little over an hour before he was supposed to pick Jack up from the airport. He was coming back from their game in Pittsburgh, one they had lost, tying the series, and Bitty knew that the only person Jack would be blaming was himself. Jack had been hesitant at first to have Bitty pick him up, worried that too much interaction in public would draw attention, especially since the airport was bound to be crawling with paparazzi. But it was a welcome alternative to driving himself home after the flight, or worse, having his parents pick him up and sitting through his father’s critiques and his mother’s gentle reassurances. 

So Bitty found himself hopping into the car, armed with a playlist of Jack’s favourite music and a Tupperware container of maple oatmeal cookies, headed for the airport. Though he knew Jack would be exhausted and likely not in the best mood, he couldn’t stop himself from feeling excited at the prospect of getting to see his boyfriend again. And after tomorrow’s game, no matter which way it went, it would be over, and Bitty might actually get Jack to himself for a while. 

As soon as he caught sight of Jack, Bitty knew just how hard he had taken their loss. He looked pale, the bags under his eyes standing out in stark contrast, and his mouth was set in a hard line. At least, it was until he caught sight of Bitty, at which point, everything about him seemed to soften a little. He didn’t look any less sad, just more relaxed. It was still a shock to Bitty that he had that sort of effect on Jack, even after two years together, and he couldn’t help but smile as Jack came nearer, having to resist the urge to run to him and just wrap his arms around his boyfriend. 

“Hey there, stranger.” He murmured when Jack finally reached him, settling for a one armed hug around his middle before he took his bags, silencing whatever protest Jack was planning with a single look. 

“Hey Bits.” Even Jack’s voice seemed tired, and Bitty wanted nothing more than to wrap him up in a blanket and just let him sleep as long as he needed to, but he knew that Jack would be up bright and early tomorrow to get in a workout before he started his pregame routine. 

They were both silent as they made their way to the car, escaping the notice of the paparazzi as loud squeals sounded out behind them, signalling the many tearful reunions of the players with their girlfriends and wives. Bitty’s heart ached, and he refused to look back at the happy couples, or at Jack, as he stowed his luggage in the trunk and got into the car. 

“Bits…” Jack sounded apologetic as he settled into the passenger seat, but he trailed off when Bitty turned to him, a sad smile on his face. 

“Sweetheart, you know I’m not upset with you. It’s just…hard. To know that we can’t have that.” 

“We will, soon, I promise.” 

As many times as Jack had promised that this wouldn’t be forever, that they wouldn’t always have to hide, he had never promised that it would be over soon. Bitty’s breath caught as he looked up at Jack, willing the tears he felt away. “I believe you, sweetheart.” Reaching across the console to take Jack’s hand, he used his other to turn on Jack’s playlist at a low volume before he started the car. “There are cookies in the glovebox, I don’t care if they’re not on your diet plan." 

They didn’t talk much for the rest of the drive, and when they got home they both got ready for bed, though it was barely nine PM. Once they were settled in bed, Jack freshly showered and wearing an old Samwell tee, Bitty pressed a kiss to his boyfriend’s forehead, fully expecting Jack to go straight to sleep. 

Always one to surprise him, Jack leaned up on his elbow after a moment, looking down at Bitty. “I’ve been thinking, what should I post after the game? On Instagram. I want to have a plan for either outcome, so I don’t have to worry about it afterwards. And you keep saying I need to post about important events, and this feels pretty important.” 

“Who are you and what have you done with my boyfriend?” It came out before Bitty could think better of it, but thankfully Jack just laughed, leaning down to kiss Bitty gently. 

“Come on Bittle, don’t make me hire a publicist now, you’ve been doing so well.” 

“As if you would ever spend money on a publicist.” Bitty scoffed, before giving Jack’s question some actual consideration. “If you lose, post a photo with some of the guys from the team, whoever is willing. Congratulate the other team, and your teammates, and thank the fans for supporting you.” 

Jack nodded, looking very much as if he was tempted to write all of this down. Bitty found it ridiculously endearing. 

“And _when_ you win, you should post a photo with the cup, of course. Get your dad to recreate one of his old cup pictures with you.” They both knew what Bitty was referring to, and he got a snort from Jack in return. 

“We’ll see. I wish I could just take a picture with you. _If_ we win, I want to share that moment with the person who matters most to me. Even if we win the cup, it won't be the best thing that's ever happened to me, you are." 

Bitty had to blink back tears for a moment, taken aback by the raw emotion in Jack’s voice. 

“Soon, baby.” 

_X_ 

They won. In overtime, of course, and Bitty had felt so nervous he was afraid he would throw up or faint or burst into tears, or some embarrassing combination of the three. 

Thankfully, he’d felt calmer than Bob, who was sitting beside him, or had been until the overtime started, at which point Bob had been out of his seat, hat twisted between his hands as he shouted along with the rest of the crowd. It was Jack who got the final goal, and for a moment Bitty feared for his boyfriend’s safety as all his teammates piled on top of him, before he had greater reason to fear for his own health as he was squished in a bone-crushing hug between the Zimmermanns. 

They had agreed beforehand that Bitty would wait in the back of the arena, outside of the dressing rooms, until all the excitement had died down and Jack was ready to leave. But now that the moment was upon them, and Jack’s parents were rushing to meet him as he came off the ice, Bitty regretted agreeing to the plan. But he knew it was for the best, the last thing they needed was to get caught up in the celebratory spirit and slip up in front of all these cameras. So Bitty waited, leaning against the wall, scrolling through his twitter feed to keep himself occupied. 

To his credit, Bitty lasted almost forty five minutes before the boredom really started to get to him, and though he knew there was likely no reason that Jack would have his phone with him, he texted him anyway, just for something to do. 

_Figured out what you’re going to post yet?_

To his shock, it was barely two minutes before Jack responded. 

_How about this?_

Now Bitty had fully expected to see a recreation of the famous Zimmermann family cup photo, but what he hadn’t expected was to see Bad Bob Zimmermann being hoisted over the cup by his son, doing a frighteningly good impression of Jack’s face from the old photo as Alicia and Jack nearly doubled over in laughter. 

_Looks like you don’t need me as your publicist anymore anway._

Bitty smiled fondly at the photo, the way the corner of Jack’s eyes were crinkled as he smiled wide as Bitty had ever seen him, but a small part of him wished that it was him Jack was smiling at like that in the picture. But Jack had promised things would change soon, and Bitty believed him. He was worth the wait. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was totally all an excuse for me to write the Zimmermanns recreating The Photo, forgive me.
> 
> Only one chapter left!! I'll try to get it up tomorrow, but I work until late. It might be up at some ungodly hour of the night, but I'll get it up!  
> Thank you all for sticking with me through this crazy journey!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jack makes a big decision, and is not as hopeless with social media as everyone thinks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry that this is going up so late! I had work and then some family is visiting unexpectedly, but I made it work!
> 
> This is it, the last chapter, thank you all for sticking with me!

_/+1\\_

It wasn’t as if Jack had never thought about what he would do if he ever got his day with the cup, in fact, he spent a large majority of his life thinking about that very thing. When he was a child, he pictured himself with his father. The actual details of how they spent the day had been unimportant, as long as his dad was there to see what he had achieved. As a teenager in the Q, Jack had always imagined his day of glory being spent with Kenny, the two of them just driving around with it, going where they pleased and doing what they wanted, because they were unstoppable. And of course, he had assumed that Kenny would have wanted to spend his own day with Jack as well. He had spent years seeing Kenny post about his post-playoff celebrations and imagining what it would have been like if he could have been there with him. He considers it a sign of growth that he can now look back on that memory without cringing. After the draft and everything that had happened with it, Jack had stopped thinking about winning the cup for a long time, it had felt like the most impossible thing for him to do, and it wasn’t until Samwell, and the team, and Bitty, that he had let himself hope again. So it wasn’t as if he hadn’t come up with plans for this opportunity before, but now that the day was approaching, Jack found himself at a loss.

Luckily, he had some time to think about it, since Jack wasn’t the first to get the cup. The extra planning time wasn’t the only reason Jack was grateful that his day with the cup was scheduled for later in the summer, it also meant he had some time to spend with Bitty. This was the first patch of time they had together since Bitty moved in, and Jack was beginning to understand just how much he had been missing while they had been apart.

Waking up to find Bitty next to him every day was something that Jack could definitely get used to, and he was already dreading the start of next season when moments like these would become scarce again. Even though his graduation had only happened a week ago, Bitty was already throwing himself into finding work, both through his blog and the farmer’s market that happened a couple blocks away from their apartment. It gave their days some structure, because as much as they both would love to spend their days lazing around the apartment together, they knew they needed lives outside of each other’s company.

Since his rather successful post after the Falcs’ winning game, Jack had become more comfortable in posting online without Bitty having to approve his pictures, and he was using that to his advantage. The first time he had posted a video of one of his daily workouts, Bitty had almost choked on his coffee when he had seen it. Jack wasn’t usually the type to post shirtless workout videos like some of his teammates, but it was worth it to see the rather endearing shade of red Bitty turned. And Jack took pride in the fact that Bitty was distracted enough by the content of the video that it took him at least five watches to realize the music playing in the background was none other than Queen B herself.  
“I didn’t even know you knew the song Countdown!” Had been his response when he finally noticed, his eyes straying back to the video every few seconds, as if he couldn’t just watch Jack work out in their home gym whenever he wanted.

“I highly doubt there is a Beyoncé song in existence that you haven’t played for me, Bits.”

After that, Jack made a habit of posting post-workout selfies and the occasional video, just because he couldn’t get enough of the way Bitty got so flustered over them, as if he hadn’t already seen Jack in far more compromising circumstances.

_X_

While they gradually fell into a routine of living together and started to feel like a real couple, Jack couldn’t ignore the ache he felt whenever they left the apartment together. It was as if the warm little world they had built together was torn down every time they went out and had to pretend to just be friends, had to pretend that they weren’t forcing themselves to keep a respectable distance between them and avoid making eye contact for too long. If his own pain wasn’t enough to motivate Jack to make a change, seeing the hurt in Bitty’s eyes every time he had to introduce him as his ‘teammate from college’ was all it took.

The Sunday before Jack’s day with the cup, he and Bitty were out for a late morning walk, coffees in hand and Jack’s camera around his neck, basking in the warm sunshine that always seemed to make Bitty glow. They didn’t get very far with their walk, seeing as Jack stopped them every couple of steps to take a photo, some of the trees, their leaves dappled with sun, some of the people walking by, but most of them of Bitty, the small smile on his face every time Jack turned to look at him. After one of these photo breaks, both of them smiling, cheeks flushed more from each other’s presence than the heat of the day, Bitty reached out, almost on instinct, to hold Jack’s hand. Before Jack even had the chance to react, Bitty dropped his hand back to his side as if it had been burned, smile sliding off his face as he hastily took in their surroundings, checking if anyone had noticed. That was all it took for Jack to make up his mind about how he wanted to spend his day with the cup.

It had taken some hastily-arranged meetings with Georgia and the team’s PR department, and more than a few calls to his parents and his old coaches and teammates, but Jack managed to put a plan together, and now he just had to pray that it all worked out. It hadn’t taken much to get Bitty to agree to just go along with the plan on Jack’s word alone, and it took his breath away to realize just how much Bitty trusted him. This boy, who time and time again had been given reason to lose trust in everyone, let himself be led by Jack, and he promised himself that he would never give Bitty a reason to lose that faith in him.

Back when they had first broached the subject of coming out, in those weeks between Jack’s graduation and his visit to Madison, they had spoken in broad terms and hypotheticals, of a distant future that neither of them could fully imagine. Jack had told Bitty that he didn’t want to come out until he had established himself as his own player, rather than just the son of a hockey legend. Now, with two years on the team and a Stanley cup under his belt, Jack felt that he had achieved that goal, but he knew deep down that even if he hadn’t, he would still want to do this. He was tired of waiting, of seeing Bitty suffer for the sake of his career.

_X_

“Bits, for the hundredth time, I promise you, you don’t need to pack anything. We’re not getting on a plane, we only have the cup for twenty four hours, what would be the point?”  
It had been the common theory that Jack would take the cup to Quebec, to his family home for his day with it, but he hadn’t imagined that it would be this difficult to convince his own boyfriend that that wasn’t his plan for the day.

“Mr. Zimmermann, after all those talks about how much this means to your family, you expect me to believe that we’re not spending this day with your parents?”

“I swear on my life, we’re not going to Quebec, Bitty, please just get in the car.”

What Jack neglected to tell Bitty was that his parents would be a part of the day’s activities, they had flown up the night before, and his father had texted him just a few minutes ago that they were ready and waiting for them at their destination. Once Bitty was finally settled in the car and fussing with this phone, trying to find the perfect playlist for their trip, Jack set off, knowing it wouldn’t be long before Bitty recognized the route they were taking. Wanting to delay that realization for as long as possible, Jack decided to kill two birds with one stone, and distract Bitty with what had been on his mind all morning.

“Euh, so…remember how I said I wanted to establish myself in the NHL before we…did anything? Winning the cup was that for me. I don’t feel like Bad Bob’s son anymore, I feel like my own player.”

Jack knew he was being vague, he didn’t want to give away everything he had planned for the day, but he also didn’t want Bitty to go into this completely blind, and it seemed he had said just enough for Bitty to connect the dots, given the way he was looking at Jack in shock, his hand reaching over the console to grip Jack’s arm.

“Sweetheart, if you’re saying what I think you’re saying…I’m ready whenever you are. I’m with you.”

That was enough to keep a smile on Jack’s face as he drove, one that only widened when Bitty spoke again about twenty minutes later.

“Jack, why are we driving to Samwell?”

“You’ll see.”

_X_

Bitty was practically vibrating out of his seat by the time Jack pulled up in front of Faber, checking his phone to make sure that everything was in place before he got out of the car and opened Bitty’s door for him.

“You ready?” He asked, reaching down to take Bitty’s hand in his own, seeing the shock on his boyfriend’s face disappear and be replaced with something warmer.

“Lead the way sweetheart.”

Huffing out a nervous laugh, Jack tugged Bitty along to the entrance of the rink, opening the door for him and following Bitty inside. There was one fragile moment of silence before everything erupted. Jack’s parents, as well as Bitty’s, were standing just inside the door, both of their mothers with tears in their eyes as Bitty stared around the arena in shock counting all the faces of his friends. The loudest noise in the room came from on the actual ice, where all of their old teammates were piled together, making a semicircle around where the cup was positioned, and Jack mentally kicked himself for not having his camera as he saw Bitty cover his mouth with both of his hands, tears welling up in his eyes.

Thankfully, Suzanne Bittle came to the rescue, pulling out her phone and snapping photos as Bitty turned around and buried his head in Jack’s chest, arms wrapped around his middle.

“Today was supposed to be about you, not me, you loon.”

“It’s about us.”

_X_

As predicted, the day was filled with lots of tears, mainly from Eric and his mother, though Jack and his father contributed as well, though they would both deny it later on. Of course, the team kept up a never ending stream of chirps once the realization hit them all of what Eric and Jack had been hiding from them.

“Seriously?! Two fucking years? Bitty, you’ve been tapping the world’s finest hockey butt for two years and you didn’t tell anyone? You’re a brick, man.”

“Lord! Shitty please, my parents are here.”

That wasn’t the worst of it by far, but it was worth it to see the way Bitty flushed and smiled every time he answered a question from one of their friends about the past two years and everything they had kept hidden. Jack was happy to just watch and listen, speaking up only when prompted by Bitty or asked directly. He was too busy soaking in this moment, the moment he started living as his whole self all the time, no more separating who he was on and off the rink.

Eventually, all the boys laced up for a good old fashioned game of shinny, even convincing Lardo and Jack’s parents to join in on the fun. Bitty’s parents were content to watch from the sidelines, Coach providing commentary and keeping score while Suzanne took photos. The game ended with Bitty’s team absolutely destroying Jack’s, with the highlight of the game being the spectacular hip check Bitty targeted his boyfriend with, hopping up to plant a quick kiss on Jack’s lips before he darted away to score, earning himself a hat trick.

A close second was Alicia Zimmerman, on Bitty’s team of course, playing as goalie and doing a frighteningly good job, blocking every single shot her husband took on her with a dazzling smile. Watching his parents tease each other throughout the game, Jack couldn’t help but imagine his future with Bitty, them playing hockey on some frozen pond with their own kids. It wasn’t something they had really talked about, but Jack could see it clear as day now, they could have that if they wanted.

When the day finally came to an end, everyone said their tearful goodbyes, the team all going their separate ways, while the parents stayed to all go out for a joint family dinner after they had all had their fill of pictures with the cup. When it came time for Jack and Bitty to go home, he opted to let Bitty, drive, content to sit in the passenger seat and listen to him chatter on excitedly about the high points of the day, how it had been perfect.

Just as he was being lulled to sleep by the movement of the car and the familiar sound of Bitty’s voice, Jack’s phone vibrated with a text from Bitty’s mother, with a picture attached.

_I thought you might want this one._

_X_

As far as coming out stories went, Jack had to say he was pretty pleased with how theirs went. In his meeting with George, they had arranged for him to post something on his own social media accounts, and the official Falconers accounts would release an announcement immediately following, so the pressure wasn’t all on Jack. Suzanne’s photo turned out to be exactly what Jack was looking for, and so his Instagram post for his day with the cup ended up being a picture of him and Bitty standing beside the cup together, both of them in their skates, though Bitty’s were barely touching the ice from the way Jack had him wrapped up in his arms as he kissed him. It felt like an intimate moment that had been captured, but at the same time it felt like a statement. A way for Jack to let the world know that he was happy and loved, and that he wasn’t going to keep hiding the best part of his life.

Of course, when Bitty saw the post he cried, covering Jack’s face with tearful kisses, but he insisted that it wasn’t just the picture that had him so emotional, but the caption. Jack had to admit, it was slightly cheesier than he thought himself capable of, but that didn’t make it any less true.

_These are a few of my favourite things._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know this is the end, but I've had so much fun writing this that you should expect a short epilogue to be added within the next few days. I'm not done with this story yet.
> 
> I just want to thank you all again for your kind words and support, I wouldn't have been able to get through this without all of you!!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Epilogue: Two years later

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As promised, here is the epilogue to this story!
> 
> You all have been the sweetest with your comments, I cannot thank you enough.
> 
> If you want to come scream at me or give me prompts on tumblr, my Check Please blog is [butterbootybureau](http://www.butterbootybureau.tumblr.com) and my main is [braveasabadger](http://www.braveasabadger.tumblr.com).

“Shitty, for the hundredth time, that’s a terrible idea.”

“No, brah, trust me. Bitty will love it.”

“I am one hundred percent certain that my boyfriend would not want me to propose to him by putting the ring in a pie. I don’t think Bitty even eats pie he didn’t make himself.”  
This was not the first conversation Jack had about this with Shitty. He had bought the ring a month ago, a couple days after their fourth anniversary, and he had called Shitty that night for advice. Since then, Shitty had tried to convince Jack nearly daily that the only acceptable proposal was one that was pie-related, but now Jack had other ideas. He had had plenty of time to plan, since Bitty had been away for two weeks, filming a guest spot on a cooking show in LA, because that’s what his life was now.

In the two years since his graduation, Bitty had made quite a name for himself both on the internet and in the food industry. It was no surprise to Jack, he had always known he was destined for great things, but it was certainly a pleasant turn of events for him to know that in most circles, his boyfriend was now more famous than he was. So it had been no surprise when Bitty had been asked to do this shoot, some reality TV style show that traveled around the country teaching busy families and broke college kids how to make good food with the resources they already have. Bitty was going to be acting as a guest consultant for a few episodes, and he had been beside himself with excitement as he explained the premise to Jack.

As excited as Jack had been for his boyfriend, he also missed Bitty fiercely. It had not escaped his notice that he was getting a taste of what Bitty often felt, at home alone while his boyfriend was on the road. If Bitty’s texts were anything to go by, he missed Jack just as much, despite all the fun he was having. It had been one of those texts that had given Jack his perfect proposal plan.

_Don’t get me wrong, I miss you more than anything, but I also really miss my kitchen. :(((_

Glancing at the clock, Jack realized that he was going to have to leave soon if he wanted to be at the airport in enough time to find parking before Bitty’s flight got in, so he took one last look around the kitchen as he hastily ended his call with Shitty before grabbing his keys and heading out. Given how often their roles had been reversed in situations like these, Jack was glad to be able to pick Bitty up, it was a very small action on the list of things he wanted to be able to do for Bitty for the rest of his life.

_X_

As much as Jack would love to say that he and Bitty weren’t ‘that couple’, he couldn’t deny that they were veering dangerously close to that territory as Bitty flung himself into his arms as soon as he was close enough. From the looks of it, one would think they had been apart for two months rather than two weeks, but Jack couldn’t bring himself to care. In the two years since they had come out publicly, Jack had never gotten used to being able to be like this with Bitty in public, the thrill of being able to kiss his boyfriend in the airport had never gone away, and he didn’t think it ever would.

The drive home was filled with sound of Bitty chattering excitedly about his time in LA, how kind everyone had been and how different it had been to film with professional equipment and crews instead of it just being him and his camera in their kitchen. Jack listened eagerly, asking question and nodding along as his whole body was warmed by Bitty’s presence. It was like this every time one of them went away, the feeling of being grounded again when they were back together.

By the time they had arrived back at the house, Bitty seemed to run out of things to say and had settled for sitting in companionable silence with Jack, their hands entwined and resting on the centre console. Pressing a kiss to the back of Bitty’s hand, Jack got out of the car and grabbed Bitty’s bags before opening his door for him and leading the way to the house, his nerves finally getting the better of him.

“There’s a surprise for you, in the kitchen.” He avoided Bitty’s gaze, putting his bags down in the front hallway as he desperately tried to silence the small part of his brain that was second-guessing his plan.

“Oh sweetheart, you didn’t have to do anything for me!”

Bitty hurried off to the kitchen, leaving Jack to scramble after him, pulling out his phone so he could catch Bitty’s reaction. Sitting on their marble countertop was a large black box with a gold bow on top that had taken Jack an embarrassingly long amount of time to arrange just the way he wanted. Bitty looked back at Jack with a smile, only turning back to the box when Jack motioned for him to open it.

“You said you missed the kitchen, so I thought you might appreciate some new stuff to use when you got back. Your mom helped me pick most of it.”

Jack started filming as Bitty pulled items out of the box; new pie tins, a small timer in the shape of a hockey puck, the good Belgian chocolate that Bitty had been drooling over in a baking shop in Boston. Finally, he picked up the last item, a small black velvet box, his eyes going wide as he turned back to Jack.

“I know this one is isn’t kitchen related, but I was thinking that the other thing missing from your life is a husband, and I would love to fill the position, if you’re interested.”

Jack silently congratulated himself for getting through that without stuttering as Bitty gaped at him, and the small nod he gave was the only warning Jack got before Bitty was hurling himself into his arms. Jack barely heard him say yes before he was tossing his phone onto the table behind him and lifting Bitty into the air.

It wasn’t until later that night as they lay in bed, still staring at the simple white gold and sapphire band on his finger, that a thought occurred to Bitty.  
“Jack Zimmermann, did you film your own proposal?”

“Why wouldn’t I? Our friends and family are going to want to see it, and I never want to forget the look on your face when you figured it out.”

“You’re going to post it on Instagram, aren’t you?”

“…Maybe.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> That's it! The end! Not to worry though, I've decided to add another work and make this a series. The new work should start in a day or so, and it will cover some of the highs and lows after Bitty and Jack come out publicly!
> 
> Thank you all again!
> 
> Also, just for reference [this](http://diamantbilds.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/03/gold-diamond-wedding-rings-for-men-fresh-mens-white-gold-wedding-ring-with-gold-diamond-wedding-rings.jpg) is roughly what I picture the ring to look like, only with sapphires, to match Jack's eyes, because he is not so secretly a giant sap.


End file.
